The Dark Mehen
by ziggbot
Summary: When Honda discovers Otogi in the bathroom before school attempting to cover a bruise on his cheek, he begins to worry that the teen is being abused at home. Things only get worse, as the mysteries of Otogi's home life unfold into a maze of darkness before the group of friends, exposing the dark secrets of his upbringing. (Rated T for Violence and Language) *Reviews Appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

"Honda? Why are you walking like that?" Ryou questioned, his brows raised quizzically at his friend, who was walking with his legs rather clenched together, and in a hurry.

Honda stopped just as he passed Ryou, blushing and smiling haplessly, "Well I uh... I drank a can of Pokko on the way over here and I forgot how quick it goes through me!" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Ryou looked rather bashful about the information, but smiled back with a small nod. "I'll catch up to you guys and the others in class! Promise!" he affirmed while heading into the bathroom, Ryou walking toward the classroom door across the hall.

"Okay!" Ryou replied as he opened the door, waving.

After a few moment in the bathroom stall, Honda let out a content sigh as he zipped up his pants. He noted to himself to not drink Pokko before the morning walk to school, which undoubtedly he'd forget tomorrow. He was about to turn and open the door when, suddenly, he heard a hushed noise.

"Ss..! Ow..." He hadn't seen anyone else in the bathroom when he walked in. Most of the students were already in class. He leaned over, peeking through the stall. Otogi stood there, facing the window, dabbing on make up with a pained face. When he looked closer he could see the faint hint of purple bruising over the other's cheekbone and under his eye. Otogi dabbed as gently as he could, but it wasn't laying a thick enough layer of make up. He lowered the pad, his hand shaking, and accidentally knocked the compact of cover-up tot he floor. "Shit..." he said shakily, then ducking down. When he stood back up, he saw Honda in the mirror behind him.

"Otogi?" Honda said, voice carrying the same confusion and worry that could be seen on his face, "What happened to you?"

Otogi tensed, his brow knitting and his eyes shutting as he shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing. I just... I slipped in the kitchen this morning and hit my cheek on the counter." He waved his free hand. "I'm fine."

Honda kept quiet, but his eyes conveyed his lack of belief. "... Are you sure that's what happened? That's a real shiner."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure!" Otogi answered, voice more insistent.

It would have been improper to push further, Honda assumed, but he just sighed and looked away. "Okay... I'll meet you in class." Otogi quietly nodded, returning to putting his make up on.

The day in school continued as normally as it could have, for Honda. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Otogi, as subtle as he wish he could have been. The other boy looked so thoughtful, and was uncharacteristically quiet. He kept away from chats and conversations in the hall or cafeteria, which only troubled Honda further. A simple fall in the kitchen couldn't have caused him to act like that. He had to let someone know what he was noticing, but he had no idea who. It had to be someone he could trust; someone who would understand the situation.

Jonouchi.

"Hey, Jono!" Honda called out to the other teen, who was heading home from school. He stopped, turning and letting Honda catch up, "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

Jonouchi tilted his head, but nodded all the same, "Sure thing," he said, turning and continuing to walk, "What's up?"

Honda rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the sidewalk as he kept by Jonouchi's side, "It's... It's kinda hard to explain," he admitted, "Did you see Otogi, today?"

"Hmm..." Jonouchi tapped his bottom lip, shaking his head, "Nah, he wasn't around much, today. I think I saw him once in the cafeteria."

The other teen glanced away, nervously considering, "Well..." he began, looking back to Jonouchi, who met his gaze with confusion, "You can't tell anyone else this, but... When I went to the bathroom before class, I saw him putting make up on over a... a bruise on his face. A pretty big one, too."

He could tell that just by describing the situation, Jonouchi was reminded of an all too personal scenario. Jonouchi fell into silence, brows furrowing and eyes falling to the ground. They walked in quietness for a few moments, and then Jonouchi spoke, "... So I'm guessing you're already thinking what I am."

"I don't know what to do, Jono..." Honda frowned, "I mean, he probably thinks it's none of my business."

"Listen up," Jonouchi cut in, "If you think something's going down, you need to find out for yourself. Find out where he lives and pay him a visit. See what his home life is like."

Honda's lips drew thin as he thought about it, "If I had done that to you you woulda kicked my ass."

Jonouchi smirked, "Yeah, well... I'm tough enough to handle myself. Otogi's a different story." He securely tucked his hands in his pockets, "And you probably have a better chance of getting to him, since you're the only one who's seen evidence."

He mulled it over in his head, slowly nodding, "Alright. I'll find out where he lives by tonight, and go over there... He might get pissed, but it's worth it to make sure he's okay." Jonouchi, bumped Honda's shoulder playfully with his fist, giving him a thumbs-up and a smile.

Unfortunately, his sister had been rather strict in telling him to finish his schoolwork before anything else. He tried his very best to focus on it, but found it impossible. Just thinking about Otogi made his chest fill with nervous emotions. He'd apologize to his older sister later. Right now, he had to focus on his friend.

It took quite a few calls, mostly because finding out where he lived directly from Otogi, himself, would have given Honda away immediately. He eventually reached a friend or a friend of an acquaintance who had the address. With no surprise, it was a girl on the cheer team. It had been hard to convince her to give it, but he insisted the importance of it. He jotted down the address, thanked her, and grabbed his coat. It was time for a walk across half the city. After, of course, sneaking out of his room through his window.

By the time he got there, the sun had mostly gone down, and he looked over the brand new condo complex. Otogi certainly did lead a rather lavish life. He could easily tell that just from the business that Otogi worked at. He rode the elevator up, looking at the apartment number he'd been given. Third floor, condo seventeen. He waited anxiously for the elevator doors to open, and once they did, he walked down the hallway. He spotted a few very small dots of stains on the carpet of the hall, near the condo where Otogi lived, but was unable to make out the color. As he approached the door labeled '17', he noticed it was cracked open just slightly.

"... Otogi?" he called cautiously. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a can of mace that he always carried when walking through the city. He carefully and slowly paused the door open, seeing nothing but darkness. Unable to find the light switch, he instead opted to flick open his phone, lighting the room. The moment the light flashed on, he felt sudden fright and nausea at what he saw.

Otogi lay there, in a crumpled position on the hardwood floor. His hair had been knocked loose from it's normal style, and was resting over his face in wet tangles. Blood had seeped onto the floor around his head from a spot under his messed hair and from his mouth, which hung limply open. "... O-... Otogi!" Honda finally shouted, clumsily stumbling down to try and get to him, "Otogi, wake up! Answer me!" he shouted, reaching over and gently shaking Otogi's shoulder. There was nothing in response, and he felt cold, but not dead. His hand trembling horribly, Honda placed two fingers on Otogi's neck to feel for a pulse, which he found. It was faint, but there. He stood back up, scrambling along the walls to find the light switch, finally feeling it under his palm and flicking it on.

Suddenly, there was a loud yelp, and from behind the kitchen, a crazed looking man leapt out. Honda reacted by instinct, holding his hand out and backing up. The man, holding some sort of broken and sharp piece of porcelain, swiped the sharp edge across Honda's palm, making the young man shout out and stumble backward.

The man tried to leap on top of him, eyes open as wide as they possibly could have been. Honda forced his leg out, catching the man in the stomach and flipping him directly over him. The man rolled along the floor clumsily, struggling to his feet as Honda forced himself to his. Honda looked at his hand for only a moment, but once he heard the man's feet thumping on the floor in a run, he shouted after him, "Hey! Wait!" As he began to give chase, his mind snapped back to the more important matter of Otogi. He could chase the man down right now, not when Otogi had been so obviously seriously hurt. He growled out a curse under his breath, then ran back into the condo.

Seeing Otogi in full light was almost worse, but he returned to the other boy's side instantly, dialing '119' into his phone. Before he hit the call button, his eyes were caught by the sight of a bloody pipe on the floor a few feet away. He didn't dare touch it, but he could see the jagged edge which had undoubtedly been the cause of the blood coming from Otogi's head. He continued with the call. The very instant he heard a voice answer, "Hello, emergency services, what's your emergency?" he fell into a panic, with rushed and wavering words.

"H-Help me! My friend! He's-! Oh, God, he's hurt! Please help!"

The woman on the other end continued in a calm tone, "Alright, sir. I need you to slow down and tell me what's wrong with your friend. How is he hurt?"

Honda nervously checked Otogi over, noticing the wet section of black hair over his temple. Gingerly, he tugged the fallen clumps of hair out of Otogi's face. His stomach felt the instant effect of his growing squeamishness, and he swallowed to fight back the nerves. Otogi's face was covered in the blood that had seeped from the open wound. He looked away, eyes falling upon the pipe again. "He's... He's bleeding from the side of his head. There's blood everywhere! There was a man here, and he tried to attack me, too! I... I think my friend got hit with a pipe that's on the floor." He looked back down at Otogi, who hadn't moved an inch from the position he'd been left in. "You've got to help him!"

"Okay," the operator stated, "Where are you? Is the man still there?"

"N-No. He ran off..." Honda paused, "I'm... Uh..." He dug into his pocket with his injured hand, pulling out the paper, and in the process, smearing blood on it. He read the address, albeit slowly.

"The police and an ambulance is on the way. You're very close to the hospital. Don't worry. Do you want me to stay on the line with you?"

"Y-Yes!"

The operator was correct. The ambulance was there in just about five minutes. Otogi was swept up into the paramedics' care. Honda watched helplessly as the paramedics manipulated Otogi's limp and seemingly lifeless body onto some sort of board, then onto the stretcher. It took three paramedics to do so, and they simply told him there wasn't enough room for him to ride along. That was, until they caught sight of his injured hand. Then, they agreed to take him along, one of the paramedics climbing into the front passenger side.


	2. Chapter 2

Jonouchi was at home, about to head out to a near by fast food place with Yugi and Anzu, when he got the call. He saw it was Honda, and considering the conversation they had earlier, he answered rather quickly. "Honda? Is everything okay?"

"J-Jonouchi..."

His heart thumped in his chest with the shaken tone he heard in Honda's voice. "Honda, what's wrong? What happened?" Yugi and Anzu took notice of his tone, looking on with worry.

"I found out where Otogi lived and went over, just to see what it was like, but... I found him, and he was hurt. Someone beat him... They tried to get me, too, but I let them get away..." Jonouchi was struck into silence, and Honda continued. "I'm at the hospital. The doctors are taking care of him right now, but I just... I don't know. I need to be here, but I can't be alone."

"You got it," Jonouchi quickly said, trying to remain as calm as he could. "Yugi and Anzu are with me, and we can be there as soon as possible. Just try to keep calm, okay?"

"Y-... Yeah."

Jonouchi first told Anzu and Yugi what was going on, then called Ryou, who was woken up from a nap, but more than willing to meet up with them. Jonouchi then called Mai, who agreed to give them a lift to the hospital. All in all, it took about twenty minutes to get there with everyone in tow. Honda was sitting in the waiting room for visitors, his head resting in his hands, one of which was bandaged. He only looked up when he heard a paper bag rustle by him. He saw that it was a bag of food, being offered by Yugi. "We brought food," he said gently. Behind him stood all the others, and it was just enough to make Honda smile, albeit tiredly.

"Thanks, everyone," he offered as he took the bag, and Ryou sat down next to him, softly placing his hand on Honda's shoulder. He looked down at the bag, quiet as everyone got as comfortable as they could. Yugi sat down across from Honda, Anzu sat on the other side of him, and Jonouchi remained standing, though he leaned against the wall. "I just... I couldn't bare seeing him like that. It was horrible..."

"I can't imagine..." Anzu said sadly, "Who could have done such a thing?"

Honda shook his head. "I don't know, but he almost killed him."

"Mr. Honda." He heard from a foreign voice. He and the others looked to the person it came from, seeing a police officer and his partner standing there calmly. "We need to talk to you, sir." Honda looked nervously to the others, but in the end, complied and stood up. "Come with us, please." They took him to a near by, curtained off bed, where the officers then asked him about the night. Questions as to why he had been there, if Otogi had been acting strangely, and if anyone might have had interest in hurting him. Honda answered them as clearly and honestly as he could, but in the end, he had little to offer other than a brief description of the man who'd attacked him, "He wasn't very tall, and he was wearing a strange outfit. It looked like a carnival getup. He was very old... Had wrinkles all over his face. He acted really crazy, too..."

After the policemen left, then came the long wait. They sat there in near silence for almost an hour, simply waiting for news. By the time it arrived, it was by the mouth of a nurse, who told them only the most needed details. "He's suffered a head injury and some internal bruising. We've bandaged and stitched the head wound, but... There could be some damage to his short-term memory until the contusion to his brain is healed, and even then, there might be some things he won't remember." She gestured for them to follow her, and continued to speak, "You can see him now, if you want, but I want you to be prepared. He's got a lot of tubes and bandages, right now. It might not be the easiest sight."

Still, they agreed to follow and pay Otogi a visit. Each of them entered the room, one after another, and each of them reacted to the sight of Otogi's form, littered with tubes, wires, and bandages, in nearly the same way. Despite how little they really knew him and his personal life, he was still their friend, and seeing him in this state was distressing to say the least. Anzu covered her mouth, eyes wide. Yugi knit his brow and looked down. Ryou muttered something shakily in his own language. Jonouchi slowly approached the bed, stopping at its foot and simply looking on, aghast and in shock. However, Honda immediately sat down by the bed, a look of absolute dread and worry on his features.

He looked closely at the damage that had been done. The bruises were more noticeable now, and their splotches rested primarily over Otogi's jaw, cheek, and around his bandaged eye. "Wh-.. Who could do this?!" He growled out, shutting his eyes tightly. "Who could want to hurt someone else this badly?!"

"Honda..." Jonouchi solemnly whispered under his breath. He walked further up the bed, looking at Otogi as he reached Honda's side.

Anzu finally spoke up, looking to the nurse, "His eye is bandaged."

The nurse nodded. "Because of the damage to his eye socket, his pupil has been blown. We expect that it will regain some of its function, but we're not sure if it will regain full control. We've bandaged it to make sure that it isn't overexposed to light when he wakes up."

"Dammit..." Honda swore through a growl. "When they find the bastard that did this... I'll make sure he pays!"

Ryou let out a slow and slightly shaky breath, sitting down and closing his eyes. The last time he had seen someone like this... He shook his head to clear the thought away, looking back at the nurse. "Does he have family?"

"The only family we know of is his father, but we haven't been able to find him. The police are rather eager to get their hands on him, seeing as he would have been the only other one at the condo at the time." The nurse tucked her hands in the pockets of her scrubs.

"You don't think...! You don't think his own father could have done this!" Yugi gasped.

"I believe it," said Jonouchi slowly, a look of resenting wisdom in his eyes. He had felt that kind of pain first hand, and that was easily told.

The nurse was quiet for a little while, then turned for the door, "I'll leave you all with him," she began, "There's a nurse's station just down the hall if you need help." The group said nothing as she left, finding themselves far more focused on the scene of Honda looking over Otogi with worry and anger.

It wasn't until late that night that any of them even considered leaving. Ryou quietly excused himself, and was the first to leave. No one was particularly upset by the action, seeing as they very well knew the lost of his sister had left the idea of hospitals in an ill light. Anzu expressed her regrets over not being able to stay longer, but her parents needed her home. Yugi was eventually called home by his mother, who had become worried about him. Jonouchi was the last to leave, saying that he was falling asleep standing up. Honda remained, ever vigil, at Otogi's bedside.

The heart monitor's rhythmic beeping, the dim lights cast from the screens digital readouts, and simply watching Otogi's chest rise and fall kept Honda up for as long as it could have, but eventually it worked to his downfall. The monotonous repeating of sound and sight served only as a slowly encroaching lullaby, and Honda, whether he liked it or not, fell asleep, his head resting on his crossed arms on the edge of Otogi's bed.

The morning came, the sun slowly peaking in through the window, though muddled by the drapes and blinds that obscured the view of the city. Nurses had periodically checked on Otogi, and made sure to do so quietly in order to not wake Honda. However, now that it was morning, one of the nurses gave Honda's shoulder a gentle tap, then a soft nudge when it didn't quite suffice. Honda stirred, lifting his head up and looking at the nurse, who gave him a nod before turning to walk out. Honda's eyes immediately returned to Otogi, who was still unconscious. He felt a sinking disappointment in his chest. For some reason, he had hoped Otogi would be awake.

He remained there, at the hospital, but called his home to let his sister know what was going on. It wasn't like him to disappear for a whole night. An hour passed, and Honda tried to ignore the hunger that had built up from not having eaten since the meal that had been brought to him by the others. He had to remain here. Someone had to be here in case Otogi woke up. And so he stayed. Sometimes he would pace the room. Sometimes he would play Tetris on his phone. Eventually, however, he simply returned to watching after the young man in the bed. He wasn't sure when it happened, but sometime while he was asleep, the nurses had removed the tube in Otogi's throat. At least that meant he was breathing on his own again, right?

Still, he didn't look good. He was pale from the blood loss, and the bruising and swelling on his face had become much more noticeable with the time spent overnight. Could his father really have done this?

His entire train of thought came to a crashing halt, however, when he noticed just the smallest twitch from Otogi's face. He sat down, nearing the bed, his eyes pinned to the other's face. Very slowly, and dazedly, Otogi's uncovered eye opened. Honda didn't speak a word, too preoccupied with simply observing and making sure Otogi was actually coming to.

Otogi looked around the room, confused and drowsy. He felt the sore, dry pain in his throat, and felt the dulled pain all over his body. When his eyes finally fell upon Honda, he just slightly knit his brow. "W... Wha-? Nn!" he tried to speak, but his pained and sore jaw prevented too much movement. He winced, letting out a slow whine.

Honda quickly took hold of Otogi's hand, grasping it gently with both of his own. "Otogi? Y-You're in the hospital. Don't worry. You're okay."

The other was silent in lamed thought. Everything hurt so badly. His face, his side, his stomach, and his ankle, which felt wrapped in an ace wrap. He squinted, then finally saying, though with some trouble and mild slurring, "... No. I... I 'member coming home fr' school. Tha's all... Wha' happ'ned t'me?"

When it came to explaining things, he wasn't quite sure how to word it. His memory was still plagued by the graphic and bloody images of Otogi's injuries. He felt a lump in his throat before he continued, "... I went to see you after school. I was worried about you, so I called around and found your address. When I found your place, the door was left open, and... when I went inside, I found you. You were really hurt, so I called the hospital," he trailed off while considering how to word the next part of the story.

He was interrupted before he could continue, however. Though still groggy, the description of what happened made Otogi look nervous, even scared. He swallowed, looking away. "I... T-Thank you," he said quietly.

"... There was someone in the condo with you. We fought for a bit, and he got away," Honda said after a while. Otogi looked at him, then down to his hand, noticing the bandages. Just by looking at him, Honda could tell that he was trying desperately to recall what had happened.

"M.. f'ther?" Otogi asked hesitantly, "Is he..?"

He couldn't have told him that his own father was suspected of having been the one to do this, not yet. He knew he would have to ask the question, sometime, but not right after he'd woken up. "He... wasn't at the condo, but they're looking for him." Honda could feel the other man's hand trembling within his own, and held it a bit tighter. "You're safe, don't worry. I'll... I'll go get the nurse."

As he began to stand, Otogi's hand took a tighter hold on his. The moment Honda looked back and saw the look on Otogi's face, he knew he couldn't leave. He sat back down silently, holding Otogi's hand again. He wasn't sure what to do, or what comfort he could really offer in the light of things, but he would do his best. Now that Otogi was awake, he could look at his face and see the after effects of what had happened, something that he'd previously been trying to avoid. Otogi was usually so confident and calm. It was dishearteningly uncomfortable to see him like he was now; weak, scared, and helpless. They didn't say much for a few minutes, other than Honda occasionally trying to softly assure Otogi that he would be okay.

Honda, while still holding Otogi's hand comfortingly, began to text with his free one, contacting Yugi and asking for him to gather the others and meet at the hospital, and that Otogi was awake. From that moment, it took about thirty minutes for everyone to arrive. They each entered on their own, having gotten rides with either family or friends. Ryou had walked on his own, being the last to arrive. They stood around the bed, each offering what comfort they could.

"How are you feeling?" Anzu asked quietly, resting her hand over Otogi's.

Otogi looked down at his feet, closing his eyes and nodding his head a bit. Anzu felt a little guilty, noticing only afterward that his jaw was swollen and bruised.

"Well, the police are working hard to find whoever did this," Jonouchi affirmed, "So, if you remember anything, just let us know and we can have them over here in no time!"

Otogi didn't seem particularly comforted by that, and only looked away. Yugi and Jonouchi both noticed it, but one could tell a little more from it than the other. Jonouchi had been in those exact shoes more than once before, and he knew how Otogi felt. There was that worry, blanketing so many things. What would his friends think? What would happen if he really went that far? How much was he really worth if his father didn't care about him? What did he do wrong? All were thoughts he had during those times, and he was more than certain Otogi thought of them, too.

"My face... Is... is it bad?" Otogi finally worked up the courage to ask.

Ryou shook his head, "It's not bad at all. The swelling will go down quite soon, I think."

As Anzu reached into her purse to reluctantly offer her mirror, Otogi lifted his hand and touched the bandaged side of his head. It was somewhat sore, yet somewhat numb, but what he noticed the most was the feeling of his hair, a section of which had been shaved away. "... M-.. My hair..." he said in a brittle voice.

Anzu stopped just as the mirror was peaking out of the purse, looking to Otogi. He was near tears, already. Quietly, she slipped the mirror back down, to keep it from being noticed. Yugi looked to Jonouchi, and Jonouchi looked to Honda. They were unsure of what to say, but luckily, Honda was able to say, "Here, let me look." Otogi hesitantly turned his head to show the shaved section, mostly hidden behind bandages. Honda kept his expression calm and soft, and smiled just faintly, "It'll be okay. It looks fine. Anyone says otherwise and they'll meet my two favorite knuckles."

"Honda," Jonouchi said, standing straight and turning half-way to the door. Honda looked away from Otogi, "Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?" He pointed to the door.

Before saying anything either way towards it, he focused on Otogi again, "Will you be alright if I go talk to him?" Otogi, though hesitant, nodded. Honda looked to Ryou, gesturing with his hand for him to take his place which the other man did.

Honda followed Jonouchi all the way out of the patient area to the hallway, where Jonouchi turned and began to speak again, "I didn't bring Shizuka, like you asked, and now I can see why... I thought it was bad, last night..." He looked to the side.

The other nodded, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets, "I know..."

"... Were you here all night? You look..." Jonouchi trailed off while looking Honda over.

"What?"

"Well, you look like shit," he answered bluntly.

Honda shut his eyes and made a slightly annoyed expression, "I'm fine, don't worry. I slept for a few hours. We need to focus on finding any clues as to who did this. We can't get near the condo, since the police are all over it as a crime scene... But I think we can guess who the prime suspect is..."

Jonouchi furrowed a brow, "Yeah, but he's nowhere to be found, and we don't know what he looks like."

Silent for a while, Honda considered what to do, "... I have a few memories of what happened... They could be of use, I think."

"What do you mean?"

Honda looked back to Jonouchi, eyes carrying a spark of determination, "The piece of porcelain he cut me with looked like part of a mask. When I was waiting for the ambulance to arrive, I saw other pieces of it on the floor. I think it looked like the clown on the sign of the Black Crown." He remained thoughtful, recalling the terrifying moment of having been attacked, "... I don't want to leave Otogi so soon, but we may not have that much time to check the place out before the police arrive."

With a nod, Jonouchi affirmed that he was on board with the plan, even showing a smirk of confidence, "Then let's go. We'll tell the others I'm taking you home to get some rest."


	3. Chapter 3

And so they did, and everyone seemed to buy it. Otogi, while quiet and sill exhausted, wished them well, and they set off. The walk to the Black Crown wasn't that long, and by the time they arrived, it was only the early afternoon. Jonouchi played the role of lookout, while Honda slipped a piece of scrap metal he found on the road into the keyhole of the back entrance. They were lucky it was closed today, otherwise it would have been a crowded nightmare. "Are you almost done!?" Jonouchi pressured in a hushed, but strained voice.

"Hold on a second, would you!?" Honda snapped back over his shoulder. Finally, he heard a click, and the lock turned successfully, "Ah! Got it!" he whispered, then standing up and cracking the door open as quietly as he could, "Go, now!"

Jonouchi slid inside, and Honda followed right after. The two knew how to keep quiet, from many trips to the school after hours to run amok. They snuck along the walls keeping out of the line of windows. The lights were off, but Jonouchi always carried a keychain flashlight, which he used to lead Honda and investigate. Nothing seemed out of the usual, until they reached the end of the employee hall. The door to a room that had always been locked when they came to see Otogi at work was now cracked open, and upon closer inspection, Honda tensed and whispered out, "B-Blood!" as he pointed.

They both edged toward the door, Jonouchi feeling more than a little nervous as he reached out and carefully pushed the door open. It was empty, other than the rather out-of-date looking DDD table in the center of the room. The door fell shut behind them, startling a yelp out of Jonouchi, which was quickly stifled by Honda's hand, "Shh! W-wait..." he looked at the walls, guiding Jonouchi's hand with his own free one. "Look! The walls!"

On the walls, in the center of each painted diamond, was a mask, resembling the one on the storefront. "Err... Creepy..." Jonouchi squinted as he stood straight, out of Honda's hold. "... O-One is missing!" he noted, eyes wide, pointing at an empty space on the wall. He walked up to the wall, touching the space where the mask once rested, "There's a dust line. Must have been here for a while." As he pressed the wall, he felt something shift beneath his fingers. Without warning, the section of the wall and floor beneath his feet spun around, leaving him in another room entirely. "W-Wha-!? Honda!" He shouted.

Honda raced tot he wall, slamming on it to try and make it turn again, "Jonouchi! Jonouchi!"

Jonouchi slammed his fist against the wall as well, finally hissing out a curse under his breath, "Try and find some way to open this!" With his flashlight, Jonouchi could see the room he was in, with a strange board game set up on a round table in the middle. It was surrounded by candles, sitting unlit. The entire room gave off a foreboding aura, and it sent a chill down their spines. He remained by the wall, cautiously looking around. The walls were painted dark colors, and there were plaques with strange animal skulls and symbols on them. Chains hung from the ceiling, and the ground was covering in odd script and geometric designs, "Th-the hell is this!?"

The candles all became lit with an other worldly like flame, and the room was fully illuminated. The two felt their skin go ice cold as the full sight of the room explained its purpose. It was some form of ceremonial room, with a shrine to a god they didn't recognize in the far corner. Jonouchi stepped forward, anxiously observing the set up board game on the table. He had no idea what it was, or how to play it, but the metal hands on either side of the board, tensed as if clawing for something, made his hair stand on end.

As Honda searched on the other side, he heard a grunt from Jonouchi, and a limp thump against the floor. His heart skipped a beat, and he returned to the section of wall, slamming against it again, "Jonouchi! Jonouchi, answer me!" There was nothing but silence. Three more times he tried, slamming his shoulder roughly against the wall until it felt as if it was ready to pop out of its socket. On the last slam, he slid down to the ground with an aggravated moan. "Jonouchi!" he growled out, punching the ground with his fist. Heart and mind racing, he tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't go to the police. They had committed a crime by breaking in here. Perhaps Yugi and the others could help. He ran out of the room, blinded by darkness as he was, and out the back door they had entered through.

* * *

Yugi remained by Otogi's side, watching him carefully. He had recently dozed off to sleep, even though his face didn't appear to be resting well. He wasn't sure what Otogi was dreaming about, but all he could do was offer his comfort by resting his hand on Otogi's forearm. Anzu had stepped out, having gotten a call from her father, and Ryou had gone to get some food. He was alone with Otogi, or so it would appear to those who looked on.

In actuality, the Spirit stood beside him, looking on with a stern face. Yugi turned his head, quietly whispering, to keep anyone beyond the curtained off bed from hearing, "Who do you think could have done this?"

"I do not know, " the Spirit said solemnly. He kept his eyes on Otogi's face, continuing, "His face is that of one who is plagued by painful memories..."

Yugi frowned while returning his gaze to Otogi's face, "... He can barely speak, with the injuries he has." His shoulders dropped. "I... I've never seen anyone so hurt."

"He has a strong heart, Partner. He will fight through this."

"I know, but..." Yugi shook his head as his voice faded, "I have a horrible feeling. Don't you?"

The Spirit's face darkened as he considered it, "Ah. But... I believe the feeling comes from more than just this. There is something evil happening near by."

* * *

As Jonouchi slowly stirred, he felt the lingering pain in the back of his neck, a strange stinging in his left palm, and his eyes strained to focus on what was in front of him. He could make out the board, which he was sitting in front of, and a ghoulish looking figure on the other side of the table. "A-Ack!" he grimaced in shock as he finally saw the man in full light. It was a clown? A man dressed as a clown. On his face was the mask they saw had been missing, though it was held only with his hand, unable to stay on his face otherwise, "Who are you!?"

The clown let out an eerie cackle, the eyes visible behind the holes in the mask narrowing. He said, in an old, haggard voice, "I am Mr. Clown, of course! It seems as though you've made the mistake of falling into my secret room."

"W-what? Where's Honda!?" Jonouchi leaned forward, feeling a tug on his chest. He looked down, seeing that all but on of his hand had been tightly chained to the chair. The clown simply laughed, shaking his head. "Let me out of here, you bastard!"

"If you want to leave, we'll just play the game!" the clown cheerily chimed as he held his free hand out over the board of the game, "Anubis' Mehen."

Jonouchi nervously looked over the board, noting the two face pieces, one carved from ivory, and the other from ebony. The board was marked with what looked like numbers, and it spiralled down in levels to the center. The upward clawing hands and vipers raising up from the outside of the board pointed outward, one viper's head facing him, and the other facing the clown. There were two dice on the table beside the board. "I... I don't..." he hesitated, "Dark Mehen?"

"Mehen was a game played in Ancient Egypt, where players would use their pieces and dice to get to the center of the board. However, this is a game of a different kind," the clown said while a few aged and crooked teeth peaked out from behind the mask in his smile, "Anubis' Mehen is a much darker game. You simply roll the dice to get to the center of the board, and whoever does so first wins."

"It doesn't sound so dark to me..." Jonouchi squinted one eye quizzically.

The clown grinned even more behind the mask, "Ah, but you haven't heard everything yet, boy. In order to progress in the game, you must bet your very own life!"

"W-What!?" Jonouchi tensed, drawing his head back and baring his teeth in a grimace.

"The number you land on in the board dictates how many years of your life you are risking to lose." he pointed tot he last square, by the center, "There are up to seventy years to risk. I lost this game once, eighteen years ago. Though I am still young, only forty-five, I aged fifty years the night I lost this game!" He lowered the mask, showing his grotesque skin, wrinkled and aged. Jonouchi felt a lump of nausea at the sight, but his belief was cemented. The clown put the mask back on, once again sweeping his hand over the board, "Shall we begin?"

"And if I say no?" Jonouchi narrowed his eyes, but quickly winced as his cheek was met with a lashing of a sort whip.

"Then you'll die! Horribly!" the clown cackled out, "You see, to enter the game, you must offer your blood, dripping it on the hands of Anubis." he pointed to the hands, each with a small amount of blood in their palms, "I cut your hand, and offered your blood, already! You have no choice! If you leave now, then the game will curse you to a horrible death before you can even get through the door."

So that was the stinging sensation in his palm. There was no choice, then. No one was here, other than this man, and obviously the door was hidden in the other room. He didn't care what he got if he would win, as long as it meant he would live. His face grew stern and stoic, and he said, "Fine. I'll play."

"Exciting!" the clown cheered, "I shall be the ebony piece. You shall be the ivory piece!" He picked up the dice, clutching them in his fist, "I shall go first, to show you." He shook the dice in his hand, releasing them into the center of the board. One die landed with two pocks upward, and the other with three. "Five years, I wager." The clown began to move the piece, setting it five spaces ahead. "Your turn, boy."

Jonouchi, while nervous, refused to let it show, and slowly picked up the dice. He hated the idea of gambling. He always had. And yet, he had always relied on it for everything. Dueling, living, earning... His father had already shown him what happened to those who lost everything because of it, and he had sworn to himself not to allow the same fate to become him. Apparently, destiny had another plan. He shook his hand, dropping the dice into the center of the board, as he had been shown. One die landed with one pock up, and another with two. He sneered at his luck, knowing the first decision of chance could set the tone for a game. "Th... Three, I wager," he said, moving his piece three spaces.

There was an odd feeling in his chest, as it time had passed in mere seconds. It was a feeling of both deja-vu and recollection, and one he found to be particularly unsettling as a whole. "Do you feel it?" the clown smirked, "That is your soul, wagering your very life! Let us see how far you can go before it gets to you, as it did me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Anzu sadly dabbed away some sweat from Otogi's face as he dreamt, mind restless and face still pained. She looked to Yugi, and it was easy to see the worry on her face. He put his hand on her shoulder, knitting his brows but trying to show as little worry himself as he could.

They had no idea of what his mind focused on, but the Spirit seemed to have a sense. Yugi could feel an uneasiness in the Puzzle, as if it were trying to sort something out. _What's wrong?_ He finally asked in thought, _**I am trying to reach him, as I have with Jonouchi and our other friends, before. Perhaps, if I help him, he may fill in the gaps that his mind has created. Partner... place the Puzzle in his other hand.**__ Are you sure? __**Trust me. It will not be as clear as the Millennium Key allows, but I will be able to reach him. I must help him with the pain and darkness in his heart. I feel that there is something hidden in his mind that may explain what is causing this sense of darkness.**_

Yugi slowly took the Puzzle from around his neck, catching Anzu and Ryou's attention. They watched curiously as Yugi walked around to the other side of the bed, carefully turning Otogi's hand over and placing the puzzle on his palm. "Yugi?" Ryou asked, standing from his seat.

Yugi looked to him, then to Anzu, "The... The other me thinks he can help," he explained in a whisper.

Anzu gazed at the Puzzle, her heart fluttering as she admired the Spirit's kindness. Ryou looked tot he Puzzle cautiously. "Are you sure he ca-" he was cut off by a painful thump in his chest, and he looked down, lifting the Millennium Ring from behind his shirt. One scrying pendants on the Ring pointed forcefully in a direction, seeming to be northwest. Ryou anxiously looked to Yugi, who was eying the Ring. "Th-the Ring senses something!"

Of course, the dreading feeling he had been having must have been caused by whatever the Ring pointed to. Just as Yugi was about to speak, they heard a clamoring ruckus, caused by Honda staggering into the patient wing. He was sweating and out of breath, but desperate and frightened, "Y-Yugi!" he called, "Jonouchi's in trouble! Please, help!"

Yugi was caught in shock, and a chill settled down his spine. _**Go**_, said the Spirit, _**I will still be with you, in a way. Our link is strong enough for that.**_ Now with determination in his eyes, Yugi nodded, "Okay! Show me the way!"

"I-I'll come too!" Ryou offered.

Honda turned, waving his hand for them to follow, "Come on!"

* * *

Each time the dice clattered against the board, Jonouchi felt his heart pump faster. A pair of threes faced up on the dice, and the clown said, "Thirteen, I wager," before moving his piece ahead. He was now seven spaces ahead, and one level down.

So far, he had wagered seven years of his life, and his soul felt some sort of hollow maturity, reflecting back on days of simple youth. It was still just as unsettling as before, and he took the dice with more reluctance. When he dropped them, he swore under his breath. Snake eyes. "... Nine, I wager." he frowned, moving his piece two spaces. He was far behind, now. If his luck continued this way, he'd lose just as the clown once had.

The clown took the dice, smirking devilishly behind the mask, "Not doing so well, boy. You may lose less years than I expected." He took the dice, and after a shake, tossed them down. Two pocks on one die, and one on the other. With a slightly bitter scowl, he said, "Sixteen, I wager," then moving his piece the three spaces.

Jonouchi eyed the dice, picking them up and shutting his eyes as he shook them, "... Come on..." he said quietly before dropping them down. A bright smile came over his face, while the clown's face grew more angry. Six pocks up on one die, and four up on the other, "N-Nineteen, I wager!" Jonouchi said before moving his piece. As he did so, he felt a loss of some of that energy, and a more dulled feeling of pain in his joints. When he thought about it, he would have been thirty-seven with these years being added to his soul. That was his father's age. The confidence and success he had felt just moments ago had dwindled to a sort of fear, wondering what it would feel like as he aged more and more in spirit.

The clown began to smirk again, seeing the look on Jonouchi's face, "All that age added, and now your bones begin to ache from middle-age. You feel as though you missed out on nineteen years of your life, don't you?"

"Sh... Shut up! Roll your dice!" Jonouchi snapped back.

He did as Jonouchi ordered, though his face remained annoyingly confident. He dropped the dice into the center of the board, smiling widely at his result, though it was hidden behind his mask. Two pairs of sixes were shown on the dice, and he said, "Twenty-eight, I wager." The age was shown in his movements, as his hands began to shake and tremble with weakness. Jonouchi watched him move the piece far ahead of his own, hitting one-fouth of the way into the next level. He swallowed nervously, looking over the board. His piece, once again, looked so far behind.

* * *

The Puzzle, resting in his hand, gave of a tingling sensation. He didn't notice it at first, deep in his uncomfortable sleep, but as the moments passed, he could feel a sort of presence, right beside him, offering him some form of guidance. Finally, in his fevered dreaming, he heard a voice, similar to Yugi's but far more confident and wise, "Otogi... Otogi, can you hear me?"

"... Yes..."

"Good. I am here to help you. You must remember, Otogi. Remember what pains you so," the voice said calmly.

Though he tried, the memories were so blurred. All he could even hear were murmured shouts with inaudible words, and all he could see were dark blurs and shadows, "I... I can't..."

"Your mind wishes them gone. These memories hurt you greatly, but you cannot escape this until you remember them! Please, Otogi, try! I shall aid you in piecing together the puzzle of your mind!"

Suddenly, he found himself, sitting on the floor, with a strange sort of puzzle in front of him. It was a puzzle of three-dimensional shapes, each with some sort of image on them. All the images were blurred and dark, and the faint and muffled sounds of shouting played softly in the distance, "W-... What is this!?"

"Do not be afraid," the voice said. A hand rested on his shoulder, and when he looked up, he saw the shadowy figure of Yugi – no – it was someone taller than Yugi, more mature in physique, and on his forehead was the symbol of the puzzle, shining with a golden light. No features of his face could be seen, but his eyes faintly glowed in the darkness. Otogi had heard the legends from his father, and they played aloud, for both present to hear.

"_The Puzzle carries the Spirit of Games within it. The one who becomes its host will have luck beyond measure, and will never lose! It is what we need, Otogi! To defeat Sugoroku Motou, and to make him feel the pain he put me through."_

The figure looked confused for a moment, but he could sense that Otogi disliked the memory, and did not agree with whatever it was that his father had planned, "The puzzle, Otogi. You must solve it to wake from this nightmare, and to know what truly happened to you!"

Otogi looked back to the puzzle, picking up a few pieces. Another memory played, reciting what he had heard so many times before.

"_I have trained you to master any puzzle set before you. From birth I have raised you to solve the Puzzle and claim the Spirit of Games as your own! And in the end... You failed me."_

The Spirit had known nothing of this, but the memories, echoing and chiming from any sort of stimulation, painted a very poor picture of Otogi's home life. Otogi, saddened, lowered the pieces, shutting his eyes tightly.

"_Since you were only born to take revenge on the Motous, and you have failed, your life has no value to me!"_

"O... Otogi..." the Spirit said quietly, stepping in front of Otogi was he quietly sobbed, "You cannot let the shackles your father put you in define you. You have the strength of heart to solve this puzzle, I know it! The past has no hold on your fate!"

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Honda?" Ryou questioned nervously, "This isn't legal..."

Honda quieted him with a shoosh, and slipped in through the back door of the Black Crown, where he'd entered before. Yugi followed after, and Ryou reluctantly after him. Honda led the way they had gone before, pushing the door to the DDD room open, "The section of wall is over there... I can't get it open!"

On the other side, Jonouchi's hand weakly held the top of his piece, moving it across the next ten spaces. He had wagered fifty years, and his body was feeling it. He was tired, weak, and aching all over. He wanted nothing more than to simply close his eyes and sleep. Yet, the clown didn't appear as affected, simply picking up the dice and dropping them down, "Sixty-two years, I wager," he said calmly, as he moved the piece along.

"W... Why aren't you feeling this way?" Jonouchi finally asked.

The clown smirked, shrugging, "I am far more trained to undertake dark rituals than you would ever be. Your weak soul is being crushed by the very weight of this game! I have nothing to lose, so I feel no fear!" he laughed out, "You might as well give up now, boy. Die a simple death of old age."

He was seriously considering it. The pain and tiredness were almost too much to bare. But then, though muffled and quiet, Jonouchi heard something that caught his attention, "Jonouchi!" a voice called, followed by two others calling the same thing. Yugi, Honda, and Ryou; his friends. A certain energy came back to him, even though he was still in pain and weak.

The clown glared at the wall, "That-! That Motou boy!" he growled.

Jonouchi smiled faintly, "My friends..." he reached for the dice, lifting them up and shaking them in his hand, "... I'll keep going, for them." He released the dice, and they fell to the center of the board. Both dice faced up with six pocks. He smirked as he lifted his head, though dread upon realizing how it would feel slowly built up in his mind, "S... Sixty-two years, I wager!" As he moved the piece, his body finally began to fall prey to the limits of age, and he hunched foreward, nearly knocking the piece over. After a moment of collecting himself, he carefully placed the piece next to the clown's, and leaned back in his seat. "T... There..."

On the other side of the wall, Yugi and Ryou both felt the dark presence of magic, sucking away life force. Yugi's eyes widened, and he placed his hands against the wall of the room, "J-Jonouchi!" he shouted.

_Yugi..._ Jonouchi thought to himself, _As long as you're here... I have faith in my luck... I can't give up now!_

The clown looked furious with him, as well as desperate. With the sudden presence of Yugi, he seemed to lose whatever grips on his calm he had before. "Damn you!" he snarled, grabbing the dice angrily and shaking them in his fist. "I'll show you, you little brat! Then all of them will meet the same fate, one by one!" he began to cackle, throwing the dice down. As he did so, he lowered his mask in gleeful surprise. "Yes!" he laughed, pointing to the dice. Jonouchi strained to focus on them, but saw the number of pocks. Seven. "Sixty-nine, I wager!" the clown laughed loudly, moving his piece tot he very end of the spiraling levels. One more space, and he'd win the game.

Jonouchi looked at the board for a long while, dread and misery engulfing him. What were his chances, now?

* * *

Piece by piece, the puzzle was slowly coming together. The Spirit kept his eyes on Otogi, knelt down on one knee. Otogi's hands trembled as he did so, and painful memories, filled with spiteful words from his own father's mouth filled the air around them. The more pieces he put together, the clearer and louder they became.

"_Revenge doesn't matter! __It wouldn't have changed anything. It wouldn't have turned you back!"_

"_Look at me! Look at me, Ryuji! I'm a monster!"_

He hesitated with the next piece, whimpering out, "I... I can't do this... It hurts..."

"Otogi, you must," the Spirit insisted, "It is the only way to heal."

Otogi shut his eyes, tears falling to the floor, "It never will! It's never changed!" Before he could continue speaking, they were both caught off guard by a sound that was not from Otogi's mind, but the Spirit's.

"_Jonouchi!"_ Yugi's familiar voice cried out, and the feeling of fear and dread swept over each of them.

The Spirit stood straight, looking around, "P-Partner!?"

"That... That feeling..." Otogi's eyes widened, "The darkness... Anubis' Mehen!"

"What!?" the Spirit snapped his look back to Otogi, and the memories of the few times he had seen the acursed game flooded the room. "This game... I... I know it!" the Spirit shakily said, the barest hints of memories returning to him, "It drains the years of life you bet to move! Jonouchi is-!"

"_You will inherit the Puzzle, Otogi. Then, you shall play Anubis' Mehen with Sugoroku to exact my revenge! Take what bitter years of life he still clings to!"_

"No!" Otogi cried out, dropping the puzzle and covering his ears, "Father, no! Please!"

"Otogi!" the Spirit quickly knelt down, placing his hands on Otogi's shoulders, "Focus! You must unlock the memories your heart has sealed away! The puzzle cannot remain unsolved, or you shall face the darkness your father forced upon you forever!" He closed his eyes, trying to see through Yugi's.

The darkness around them slowly gained shade and shape. Yugi, Honda, and Ryou all stood in the room, trying to beat down the section of wall that kept them from Jonouchi. The Spirit stood up once more, leaving Otogi with the puzzle, which he shakily began to continue working on. He looked around the room they were in, searching for any details he could pick out to help them with. However, his connection was suddenly tested, when there was a loud and clattering noise, like people bursting into the room at once. The shock Yugi was placed forced him away, and the room became dark again.

He gasped, "Partner!"


	5. Chapter 5

"All of you, hold it!" a police detective shouted, gun drawn. The moment they all turned around, surprised looks on their faces, the officer paused, lowering his gun. "Just kids..." Two other officers walked into the room, also putting their guns away, "What's going on in here!? This place is closed!"

"Our friend!" Honda shouted, "He's trapped in there. I think he's hurt!"

"Where?" the detective turned on the light, seeing the wall behind them, "I don't..."

Yugi stepped forward, "It's a hidden door! Please help us!"

The detective looked at the other officers, giving them a nod, and they moved over, "Out of the way," the detective ordered the three, and the other officer's helped guide them out of the way, "Police! Open this door immediately!"

Jonouchi could just barely hear the detective's shouting, but his mind was far more occupied with his final chance with the dice. It was now or never. He held them up, his hand barely able to keep a firm grasp of them, and closed his eyes. _Yugi... Honda... Ryou... Give me strength!_

* * *

The last piece slipped into place, and Otogi's eyes opened wide, the now vivid memories filling his mind. The space around them changed, and Otogi had vanished. The Spirit looked around for him, trying to orient himself at the same time. It looked like a lavish condo, filled with nice furniture and expensive décor. He tensed just slightly when he heard the door open.

Otogi closed the door behind him, seemingly unaware of the Spirit's presence, "Father, I'm home," he stated flatly, putting his school bag on the couch as he passed it. There was no real reply, which he was used to. Things hadn't been the same since his loss to Yugi in the DDD match. He passed the kitchen, noticing the pipes meant to replace the older ones still sitting propped against the counter. He quietly picked up a washcloth from its rack in the bathroom, getting it wet and carefully wiping away the cover up under and around his eye. It had gotten worse since the morning. He had no idea how he could cover it up tomorrow.

He heard the shuffling of his father's feet coming down the hall, and kept his eyes on the washcloth as he passed. He shoulders sank when he was still not given much notice. "Father..." he quietly addressed while walking out of the bathroom, leaving the washcloth on the counter. "I-.. I'm sorry for this morning. I shouldn't have-"

"Shouldn't have what?" his father said, voice still carrying a hint of anger. "Shouldn't have spoken about that wretch Yugi and his horrible friends?" Otogi kept his eyes on the floor as his father turned, wearing that same clown mask he always felt the need to dawn in order to cover his face. "You dare mention them as if they're our allies? Don't you remember what Sugoroku did to me?"

Otogi let out a soft sigh, nodding. "I... I know. B-But Yugi... he isn't-"

"Don't you tell me that any Motou is and isn't!" his father shouted, catching Otogi's attention and making him look up. "Sugoroku made my skin.. my face.. my body horrible and disgusting! No one can ever look at me again! Hearing you speak a single good word about any member of that family makes me..." he cut himself off, hands clenching into fists. "And you... failing to get our revenge only makes it worse! How could you do this to me?!"

The son shook his head. "It's been a year! And it doesn't matter, Father! Revenge doesn't matter! It wouldn't have changed anything. It wouldn't have turned you back!"

His father growled in anger, ripping the mask off. The sight was grizzly and shocking, but despite the lump in his stomach, Otogi didn't look away. He just barely winced. "Look at me! _Look at me, Ryuji!_" he near screamed, "I'm a monster! How can this not matter?! Don't you care about me?!"

"That's exactly why it doesn't matter! You have me! You raised me, training me to duel and win against the Motous... but in the end, it doesn't matter! Any of it!" Otogi cried out, snatching the mask away. His father's wrinkled and malformed skin paled the moment the mask was taken from him. "This... This thing... It's only served to keep you from me! This revenge... this..." Otogi grimaced at the mask, "I don't care if you look the way you do! I care that you're my Father!"

"Give me that back, now!" the elder yelped as he pitifully clawed for the mask back. Otogi held it away, shaking his head. "Give it back now!"

"So what?! So you can hide again?!" Otogi shouted back, "I want you to be my father! I'm-.. I'm tired of having to see _this _instead of you!" Upon the final grab for the mask, his father managed to knock the edge of it with his fingers. The mask was knocked free from Otogi's grip, but out of his father's reach, falling to the hardwood floor with a loud clatter and crash. Both, in stunned and silent shock, looked down at the mask, in pieces on the floor. "... F-Father..." Otogi looked back to his father, whose mouth hung agape in horror, showing his crooked and sparse teeth.

There was another moment of silence, followed by a shouted cry of, "My mask!" He fell to his knees, hopelessly trying to gather the pieces and fit them together. It was useless, the pieces were too small and chipped. Otogi watched silently as his father scrambled over the broken mask, guilt heavily falling on his shoulders.

"Father... I'm sorry."

His father spun around, face furious and crazed. "You little monster! I'll show you what it is that you've done to me! You've ruined me!" His father lunged forward, grabbing Otogi by the throat and knocking him to the ground with his weight.

Otogi helplessly tried to squirm free, but found himself trapped under his father, who had moved to straddle him as he choked him. "Father!" he said with a strained voice. His father lifted his head, slamming it back down against the floor. Otogi clutched his father's sleeve, his other hand pinned down by his father's leg. "Stop! Ple-.. Please!" His father raised one fist into the air, slamming it down against the lower half Otogi's cheek in a full force punch.

Otogi felt the pain of the blow strike up through his mouth to his eye socket, and there was a loose and sore feeling in the bone of his jaw. His mouth rushed with blood that had come from him biting his cheek, which made the choking worse. Another blow came, this time to his cheek bone and nose. He coughed from the choking, hacking blood onto his father's hand. The choke hold was finally released as his father climbed off of him, and Otogi quickly rolled onto his side, coughing out the rest of the blood currently pooled in the back of his throat. He remained there, panting, for a moment, but when he heard the clanking of the metal pipes from the kitchen, he began to panic.

He found himself too dizzy to climb to his feet, falling three-quarters through an attempt and feeling a horrible pain in his ankle, so he instead crawled along the floor toward the door. Maybe if he could call for help... He felt his father's hand grab onto his ankle, however, and pull him back. He made a plaintive cry of, "Please, stop! I-... I'm sorry!" as he rolled onto his side to look back at his father.

"No, you're not!" his father screamed as he let Otogi go, raising the pipe in his hand. "You wanted to break it! You did it on purpose!" He brought the pipe down forcefully, hitting Otogi directly over the ribs. Otogi shouted out in pain with the impact before the air fled entirely from his lungs. Followed by the strike was a rough kick to the gut, forcing Otogi into a fetal position as his father stepped back, looking over what he'd done. "... Ryuji," he said quietly.

Otogi clutched his stomach, gasping for breath. He could no longer see straight, and all he could make out from his blackened vision was the sight of the pipe in his father's hand. Instincts seized his mind, and without thinking fully, he cried out, but without words. His jaw was too sore to move well. He forced himself, ignoring the pain, to sit up and try to move back a few feet, one of his arms still clutching his stomach.

His father tensed, mouth frowning angrily. There was no escaping this now. He'd be caught if Otogi told even a soul. His knuckles grew white as he gripped the pipe for dear life, lifting it up. He swung horizontally, hearing his son's last shout before the pipe made contact with the side of his head. Otogi fell limp against the ground, and almost uncontrollably, his father swung down horizontally, again striking his temple. Silence and blackness engulfed the room, and he just barely heard his father stagger backward. The pipe was dropped, clattering against the floor, "R-Ryuji... Oh, God!" his father frantically cried; the last thing he heard before nothing.

The vision suddenly faded, and the Spirit found himself forced back into the Puzzle, as Otogi woke from his sleep with a loud gasp and cry. Anzu quickly reached over, gently holding Otogi down to keep him from causing any more pain to himself. "O-Otogi!" she yelped, "It's okay! You're safe, remember? You're in the hospital!"

"F-Father!" Otogi sobbed, "Oh God, no! He... He did this!"

Anzu, not knowing what else to do, remained quiet, carefully stroking Otogi's head and holding his hand as he cried.

* * *

Jonouchi dropped the dice, keeping his eyes closed for just a moment after they landed, partially out of fear of looking. When he did, however, the sight stunned him.

Both dice face up with four pocks. He had won, by just one space. "How!?" the clown stood up, "N-No! Not again! No!" he screamed.

"S-... Seventy, I wager..." Jonouchi moved his piece into the center, and a flash of light burst forth into the room. The light engulfed them both, and the board seemed to come to life. The vipers facing each of them extended out, fangs born and hissing loudly. Jonouchi, both too weak and too restrained to move very much, merely looked on in shock and horror as the viper on the clown's side latched onto his neck. He became even more aged, skin looking scaly and brittle. His screaming faded to a hoarse rasp, and he lost all strength to stand. He fell to the ground, limp and lifeless.

The viper on Jonouchi's side locked eyes with him, and suddenly, all of his life returned. He felt just as strong and young as before, and finally, he was able to try and struggle free of the chains. He heard an otherworldly voice ring out in the wake of the light, flushing out all other sound, "By the luck of the Gods, you are bestowed life. Beyond this, I give you the blessing of Mehen and Anubis, for you are found to be pure of heart!" The viper lunged outward, latching onto Jonouchi's neck. He screamed out in pain as the venom coursed through him, and yet... he felt stronger than ever. It flowed through his veins, giving the sensation of electricity in his very bones.

The fangs slipped back out, and the vipers returned to their normal state. The light faded, and the world returned to normal. Having been knocked off balance, Jonouchi fell backward in the chair, staring, wide-eyed, at the ceiling and panting. The section of wall was finally knocked down by the two police officers, and the detective rushed in. He scanned the room, gun drawn, but only found the two of them. Yugi ran in after the detective, rushing to is friend's side, "Jonouchi!" he cried out.

Jonouchi looked to Yugi, clutching at the collar of his shirt with his free hand, "Y-Yugi... I..." he could find no words to even begin with. Yugi noticed the bleeding bite marks in his neck, nervously placing his hand over them.

Honda and Ryou followed after the two police officers, immediately seeing the husk of the clown. Ryou covered his mouth, feeling sick to his stomach, while Honda pointed, "It... it's the man who attacked me in the condo!"

"Are you sure!?" the detective questioned while kneeling down. He pressed his index and middle fingers against the neck of the lifeless looking pile, "He's... He's dead." Ryou turned away, running back out of the room. Honda looked at the husk of the man, unnerved, yet unable to look away, "How could someone this old have done anything to you?" the detective furrowed his brow as he stood up.

"I-... I don't know! The last time I saw him, he didn't look like that!" Honda quickly answered, giving a huff afterward.

The two other officers had busied themselves with getting the chains off of Jonouchi, unlatching them and pulling them off. They radioed for an ambulance, despite how Jonouchi protested, saying he was fine. Yugi managed to convince him to let the paramedics at least check him over, and bandage the bite on his neck.

They were all taken to the hospital near by, Jonouchi and Ryou by the ambulance, and Yugi and Honda by the detective's car. Once they arrived, Yugi split off from the others, going back to the patient wing to retrieve the Puzzle and check on Otogi.

He found Otogi to be quietly wiping away his tears, and another detective walking out of the patient wing, jotting down the last of some notes. Yugi quickly came to the side of the bed, carefully picking up the Puzzle as he sat down. The instant his hands touched it, he felt the heavy emotions the Spirit had been feeling, and got a very fuzzy recollection of what had happened. He looked to Otogi, quietly reaching out and rubbing his shoulder, "O-Otogi..." He looked to the teen, seeing both his eyes. The pupil in his left eye had been blown, and was stuck at a larger size then the other. The bruising around his eye was still dark and splotchy, but not as swollen as before.

Anzu stood up, whispering to Yugi as she passed him, "I need air." He nodded to her, and she silently exited.

Otogi kept his eyes on his hands, loosely clasped together in his lap. He took a shaky breath in through his nose, still a bit swollen, and spoke very quietly, "... I never... I never thought he... would..." His face tensed emotionally, and his put one hand over his mouth as he shut his eyes. "I really meant nothing to him...!"

"I don't know what he was thinking, or feeling... but no matter what, you mean something to us." Yugi said quietly, "You mean a lot."

About half an hour passed before Ryou, Jonouchi and Honda rejoined the group. Jonouchi had a patch of gauze taped to his neck, bandages around his hand, and a bandaid on his cheek, but otherwise looked absolutely fine, even better than usual. There was something bright and youthful about his skin tone, and his eyes held a glint like that of someone in their prime. Ryou simply looked a bit sick and pale, but mostly fine. Honda, on the other hand, looked tired and annoyed, having been questioned yet again by the detectives, who insinuated that he could have attacked Otogi. Luckily, the forensic evidence had already been proven to suggest what Otogi had said, and the DNA they found at the scene matched the dead body they had brought to the morgue.

Otogi took notice of Jonouchi's neck, frowning, "My father... He made you play the game... Anubis' Mehen... didn't he?" They had no idea how to tell Otogi of his father's death. It was something far more suited to one of the nurses or detectives, but neither were present, and it was better to be told sooner than later. Before they could, however, he finished their plan for them, "If you're here, then he lost, and... He's dead, isn't he?"

Jonouchi looked down, "I... I'm sorry, Otogi."

"It's..." Otogi managed in a near-crying voice, "... It wasn't your fault. He was... He was already gone." They were quiet for a while afterward, but eventually, Otogi spoke again, "I don't think I ever really... had him."

Honda sat down on the other side of the bed, grasping Otogi's hand. Jonouchi took one hand out of his pocket, resting it on Otogi's leg. Ryou stood at the end of the bed, looking softly up at him. "You have all of us, Otogi. We'll never leave," Honda said calmly, "That's a promise."

**-end.-**


End file.
